"The decision of AfD to associate itself with the Freedom Party of Austria (FPO) was unacceptable and incompatible with membership of the ECR Group.
The FPO is an extremist party in the same group as Marine Le Pen's Front National. It is an anti-NATO party which sympathises with Putin's Russia.
It has also expressed views endorsing racism.

"For the ECR Group to stand by its principles of individual freedom, respect and equitable treatment, we cannot tolerate any links with a group such
as the FPO.

"That is why we acted decisively last month in demanding that the two AfD members resign, and why Conservative MEPs backed the motion, calling for
Mr Pretzell's expulsion, which was approved by the ECR bureau tonight."

AfD's other MEP, Beatrix von Storch, resigned from the ECR Group last week and has joined Nigel Farage and other UKIP MEPs in the Europe of Freedom
and Direct Democracy Group at the European Parliament.